What To Do About An Attitude Of Ingratitude

“Where are the other nine?” – Luke 17:17

Have you ever done something for someone, perhaps at great cost to yourself, and they treated what you did with ingratitude?  Like your sacrifice was nothing. Perhaps even why did you not do more that you did.  Like a rug under their feet.  It was nothing to them.  Ingratitude is one of those things that can stir up dark feelings in us.  It can cause you to question if perhaps you had made a mistake in helping in the manner that you did.  Maybe even make you angry and not want to help in that way ever again.  When Jesus healed the 10 Lepers, only one came back and thanked him.

“Then as He [Jesus] entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’” – Luke 17:12-19

Jesus asked ‘Where are the other nine?’  The one who came back was a Samaritan.  There is a subtle point.  The ones that you would think would be most grateful … the Jews .. were not.  It was the one who was rejected by the Jews that showed his gratitude.  What we do should be motivated by our desire to do the Father’s will and not to do good things trusting that somehow we might get credit for doing it.  If our motivation is the latter, then how others respond will matter to us.  If it is the former, then our only concern is that we are doing the Father’s will, bringing glory to Him, and not how people respond to whatever it is that we did. How we respond to their responses to our Christian service will depend upon our motivation for doing whatever it is that we have done.

“For I [Jesus] have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” – John 6:38

Here is a rule of thumb.  If ingratitude frustrates you or makes you want to not serve, understand that you are not doing the will of the Father, but you are actually trying to be good on your own.  Seeking the praise of men.

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:1-4

You need to check your motivation.  Resist the temptation to rob God of His Glory.  It doesn’t matter how the world responds to your service.  We serve because it is the Father’s will.  Leave the rest up to God.  Think about it.

Making Sense Out Of Jesus – When You Think That Your Gospel Might Be Better Than God’s

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. – 1 Corinthians 2:14

I had an interesting conversation with a young Believer the other day. I guess more revealing that interesting.  We were driving to my “home away from home”, Home Depot, to buy some materials for his home. As we left, we noticed some people walking from house to house with what appeared to be Bibles in their hands.  He said,  “Those are Jehovah’s Witnesses.”  Isn’t that a great name?  My BLOG is not the forum to go into detail about their beliefs.  He said that he enjoys talking to them and Mormons.  He is interested in what they have to say.  That they both talk about Jesus.  I told him that just because someone says Jesus, it may not be the same Jesus that he knows.

That conversation morphed into his belief that God will not turn away people of other faiths.  People who are sincere about their faith.  It just didn’t make sense to him that God would do that. I asked him if he was familiar with John 14:6.  I suspected not and was correct in my thinking.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6

That truth cemented with this truth.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” – John 1:1-5

Those to whom the Spirit of God had not given revelation to the Truth do not understand that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and He is the only way to the Father. That doesn’t leave much room for other religions and those who sincerely follow those religions.

Now let’s couple that conversation with another person this week who was talking about his denomination struggling with the issue of same sex marriage.  Legitimizing what the Bible says is sin.  It could be some other sin that a denomination or an individual chooses to embrace as acceptable.  It is the nature of human reasoning to ask “Did God really say ….?” (fill in the ….)   The root of that question comes from the Garden.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”” – Genesis 3:1

So I wasn’t surprised by either conversation. When Christians choose to embrace human reasoning – cultural conventions – as preeminent over the Word of God, there are no limits to the heresies that ensue.  Their hearts abandon the Truth and are given over to natural wisdom. In this country we are inundated with the messages that what God says is wrong – sin – is not really wrong, it is simply a choice – another way to live or pursue God.  It is normal and good.

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!” – Isaiah 5:20

The Church in the United States is losing its way.  Just as has happened in Great Britain and Europe, so we, too, are following that spiritually treacherous path that leads away from Truth. Step by step.  Concession by concession.

“‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.” – Mark 7:7-8

Think about what you embrace as acceptable and right that is, in truth, contrary to the Truth – the Word of God.  If you choose to look to the culture for truth and what seems reasonable, you have fallen victim to Satan’s deception.  The same subversion of the Truth that started in the Garden.

The Bible – More than Stories.

“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” – Luke 24:45

The Word of God is more than a compilation of stories of what people said and did in times past. Of course you know that already.  But from time to time, it is important for us to be reminded, lest we become complacent about the Bible’s significance, its spiritual roots and the role it plays in our personal spiritual journey. The disciples knew the Scriptures but they did not comprehend or understand them.  They could read the words, but Jesus had to “open their understanding” to the spiritual context of those words.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God has given us the scripture for a reason, well several actually. Doctrine is a set of beliefs. Reproof is rebuke or chastening. Correction is clarifying what is wrong and what is right. Instruction in righteousness is instruction in right living – How to be like Jesus. The Word – the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) – is key to right living and victory over temptation to sin. (Psalm 119:11)

The thing is, the Bible is a spiritual book that requires the Spirit of God to understand its truth.  Someone asked me how to explain the Bible to a lost person.  I told them that it is impossible for anyone to grasp the truth the Bible apart from the Spirit of God “opening their understanding.” They must be a Christian to understand the spiritual truth in the Bible.

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. – 1 Corinthians 2:14

Anyone can read the Bible.  It has been published in over 450 languages.  The New Testament in aver 1400 languages.  The Gospel of Mark in over 2300 languages.  Where there was no written language, ministries like Wycliffe, study the spoken language and develop a written version and then teach the people to read.  Its truth cannot be understood apart from the Spirit of God. That being said, the absence of the written Word does not limit the possibility of salvation for those who do not have access to it. 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  – Ephesians 2:8-10

We have a great responsibility and calling because of our unfettered access to the Word of God?  But still, many Christians are biblically illiterate, by their own choosing.  They have decided that reading and studying the Word is optional, and they choose not to.  The truth is, God has made the Word available to us for His purpose.

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20

We have the Spirit of God in our hearts, (Ephesians 1:13-14) and the Word of God at our fingertips.  All we lack is the will to obey.

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” – Luke 12:48

Wanting To Do Good Will Not Stop You From Sinning

“I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” – Romans 7:18-19

Wanting as compared to doing.  We face a constant pressure to do what we want all the while pushing God to the back of our minds.  It’s like the times that you did, or still do, things that you knew were contrary to what your parents had said to do or not to do.  All the while you were doing your own thing you were aware that you were being disobedient.  So you tried to shut their words out of your mind. It’s the same with your heavenly Father.  Paul wrote about this in Romans chapter 7.

“I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing…..   Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” – Romans 7:18-25

At the point of disobedience, your heart rate increases, your mind starts racing … you are acutely aware that you are about to step over the line.  The temptation is about to transition to sin.  Sin happens when you make the decision in your heart.  That is why Jesus said you are guilty of murder if you hate in your heart. You are guilty of adultery if you lust.  It is the battle that will rage in you until you see Jesus face to face.  Your old nature must be nailed to the cross every day, every moment.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

God provides a way to stop the sin cycle. It is a matter of faith in God and the surrender of your will. Do you look at the waves and your inability to walk on them or to Jesus and His ability to walk with you.  You cannot be successful in your new life by wanting to be good and wanting to not sin.  That is a formula for failure. Don’t be satisfied with “partial” sanctification, believing that the life you are living is as good as it will ever get.  That is not the life you have been called to.  It is the life you have been saved from. You do not have to continue to live that life. How do I know that?  The Bible tells me so and the Spirit confirms it.

Do You Really Have To Pray For People You Don't Like?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I [Jesus] say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:43-45 

Praying for people.  Who are you willing to pray for?  Just the people you care about.  Not just the people you feel sorry for or compassion towards, but those people who treat you poorly, those people you really don’t like.  You should not pray for them merely because Jesus said to.   In a way that’s like your parents telling you to say you are sorry for hitting your brother or sister.  You say “I’m sorry”, after some coaxing, but you don’t mean it. You just said it because you were told to say it.

We pray for those people, not merely that they would be right before God, but because if we don’t, if we harbor anger, disgust, hatred in our hearts, we, ourselves, are not right with God. Like forgiveness, praying for them releases us from a heavy burden.  Jesus was telling those listening to Him and now to us, that we must love, even those who hate us.  Like God loves. That love, which is rooted in the supernatural, enabled by the Spirit and our obedience, is an open door to restoration, but by forgiving and praying we merely open the door.  It is the responsibility of the one who is prayed for or forgiven to walk through the door.  That requires heart change and that can only happen between them and God.

Can you think of someone that is impossible for you to pray for?  What they have done is just too hurtful? They need Jesus. Restoration begins with being right with God. So if I might paraphrase what Jesus told us. “Pray for those who have harmed you in some way.  Pray that they will recognize their sin, not just their sin directed toward you, but they will be convicted of their sin towards God and repent. When people sin against other people, they sin against God. So pray for them. Release them and what they have done to God the Father, lest you, yourself, sin in your heart.”

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” – Luke 6:32-36

Have you ever prayed for someone but with no real expectation that God will do anything or perhaps a hope that He won’t?  You don’t have to answer that.  There is no way that you will fulfill the scripture on your own.  If Jesus says do something, his command is founded in faith not in works.  He is not saying “Do the very best you can to treat those people better.”  He is saying “In your weakness, my strength is made perfect..  You can do all things through Me.”  You cannot obey God apart from faith and the power of the Spirit.  (Zechariah 4:6) “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” So are you supposed to pray for those people with the hope that God will answer? Yes, but your heart and Spirit must be right, first.

All To Jesus I Surrender - Almost All Is Never Good Enough

“Jesus…said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor…and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’” – Mark 10:21

Have you made room for God in your heart?  If your heart was a house, have you given God a room in which to abide, albeit a nice room, or have you given him the whole house.  Each of us has at least a room or two that we have reserved for ourselves.  Like the little  girl that put a “no boys allowed” sign on her bedroom door.  We put a “God not allowed” on some doors in rooms of our lives.  Rooms that hold things that we love and do not want to give up.  Perhaps it is the right to do what we think is right.  Or perhaps some behaviors that are clearly contrary to our new nature and the Word of God bringing the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but to which we are emotionally dependent upon and find comfort in.  Emotionally and relationally unhealthy things.  Things that usurp the sovereignty of God, that occupy places that belong to God.  Like the rich young ruler who loved his wealth and possessions, there are things in our lives that prevent us from experiencing the joy, peace and assurance that comes from total surrender to God.

We were talking to a family member some time ago.  They are struggling with an issue, one that finds its root in the poor choices they made for which they are under the strain caused by the consequences of those choices.  When Martie encouraged them to read the Psalms to find comfort, you could hear a change in their tone of voice.  There was a distance that had not been there before.  It was clear that they were not interested in a spiritual solution.  They quickly diverted the subject from themselves to other people.  Like the woman at the well trying to divert her conversation with Jesus because He was getting too close to the “thing” she was clinging to.  It broke my heart to see them turn away from God in our conversation. 

There are doors to rooms that we don’t want to give God entrance to.  Jesus said “pick up your cross”, “give up everything that competes with your devotion to God”.  The Psalmist wrote “Trust God with your all” Paul said “offer yourself as a living sacrifice.”  I say “Let the doors in your heart swing wide.” The young man did not lack good deeds, he lacked faith in God and devotion to God.  He preferred his priorities, his definition of what is right.  He missed God because of it. Please, don’t make the same mistake.

Jesus - You Didn't Have To Do What You Did, But You Did, And I Thank You

“’Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” – Luke 24:26-27

When I was in Haiti, I was asked why we, Christians, worship the cross.  At first I didn’t know why they would ask a thing like that.  Then I realized that we had a cross hanging on the wall in our home.  Many of the volunteers that came wore crosses around their necks.  So I could see why they might think we were preoccupied with the cross itself.  So I explained that the cross was a reminder that Jesus had risen.  The Catholic crucifix is a reminder that Jesus died on the Cross.  The Christian’s empty cross is a reminder that Jesus was raised from the dead, victorious over sin and death which is why we have hope.  There is no hope in His death, only in His resurrection.  But a cross on the wall or on a chain around the neck is not sufficient.  It is not the cross that saves, it is Jesus who suffered and died on that cross and who was raised on the third day.

“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”” – Mark 15:29-32

That was the last temptation the Jesus faced.  Even while hanging on the cross it was not too late to stop what was happening to Him.  Jesus faced the same temptation on the cross that he experienced in the desert.  “If you are the Son of God then …..” then prove Yourself.

“Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” – Matthew 4:3-11

But, Jesus did not come to avoid the cross but to endure it.  For our sakes. Mesi Jezi. (Haitian Creole)  Thank you Jesus.